Projects

Littlestown Area School District

Littlestown, PA

Littlestown Area School District wanted to bolster their central campus by providing shared resources through a new combined secondary school. They also wanted to expand early childhood education programming. By upgrading facilities to be equitable for all, the District hoped to prepare students for life in the 21st century. A district wide feasibility study was the first step towards realizing their objectives. It also provided a firm plan for moving forward.

District Wide Feasibility Study

The feasibility study assessed the District’s school buildings: one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school. The facilities evaluated a total of 440,000+ SF on over 114 acres of property and serve approximately 2,200 students. The assessment indicated that the middle school required numerous improvements to meet current facility and educational needs. The evaluation also revealed that the high school had additional capacity available for curriculum use but needed renovations typical for a building of its age.

Starting the Process with Community Involvement

From the outset, the Design Team and School District directly engaged the Littlestown community as a part of the feasibility study. A community survey, focus group sessions and staff discussions aided information gathering. Enrollment projection analysis, building capacity evaluation, assessment of the existing facilities, and Steering Committee input in addition to the community feedback were used in compiling the study.

From Feasibility Study to Long-Range Plans

Seven options developed for District review included a mix of architectural scenarios:

  • combined middle school / high school
  • new middle school built next to high school
  • new high school with middle school moving to the existing high school

After reviewing study results and further discussion, the District implemented a long-range plan for updating the facilities. The plan includes additions and renovations to the existing high school building to create a new secondary school. Once the secondary school updates are complete, the middle school building will be used in a different capacity. The feasibility study also presented options for its use. The plan also includes direction for upgrades to athletic facilities, the central maintenance building and the mechanical systems at the District’s elementary school.

“We have been working with RLPS on a secondary school project for over two years. They have followed through on their promise to be customer service oriented, attentive to the multiple constituent groups and above all, very responsive to the needs of the Littlestown Area School District.”   

Mr. Christopher Bigger, Superintendent of Schools / Littlestown Area School District

Rossmoyne Elementary School

Mechanicsburg, PA

Rossmoyne Elementary is the first school to be built following the completion of the feasibility study for West Shore School District. Rossmoyne is a new elementary school built beside the previous 1950s-era school. The existing building was demolished upon completion of the new larger Kindergarten through Fourth grade elementary school.  The new building includes a robust technology infrastructure with wireless internet access throughout the building for the latest classroom visualization and 21st Century learning needs.

Community Connections

The new building includes enlarged and updated spaces which enhance the day-to-day educational activities in the school.  Several of these spaces were also designed with community functions in mind.  These areas reinforce the intent to provide the District and its residents with schools that are active and connected to the community.

School Safety

Measures to provide enhanced security for students, staff, and visitors include controlled building access points, a secure entrance vestibule adjacent to the new administration suite and cross-corridor doors that can separate community functions from the classroom areas of the building. The site includes separate drop-off areas for parents and busses.  These separate traffic loops improve safety by segregating the busses from other vehicular traffic.

Daylighting

All classrooms have lower window sills allowing students to see outside. The larger windows bring more daylight into the classrooms. These windows play a large role in lighting the classrooms, as all classrooms have natural light instead of solely relying on artificial lighting.

Building Organization

The building is divided into two levels within the classroom wing; shared common spaces, such as the library, administration areas and nurse suite are located on the first floor. The gymnasium doubles as the auditorium and has an integrated stage. The First through Fourth grade classrooms are organized in stacked two-story classroom wings. The First and Second Grade are on the first floor located directly below Third and Fourth Grade. Large and small group instruction areas are incorporated into the classroom wings.  Art, Music, STEAM, Guidance, and the Learning Commons are all located in the main connecting areas of the building.

The West Shore School District’s Director of Operations and Planning and Rossmoyne Elementary School’s principal sat down with RLPS Project Manager, Erin Hoffman, ALEP. They discuss what went into creating a flexible, future-ready elementary school and some of the building’s key features.

View the Video

Saint Mark’s High School

Wilmington, DE

Campus Master Plan

Campus master planning for the 283,000 square foot, multi-level high school building and 50-acre site focused on updating and right-sizing spaces to better support enrollment, curriculum, and athletic programs. The final plan envisions $34 million of campus-wide updates to be incorporated in multiple phases of construction.

Client Involvement in the Campus Master Planning Process

Master planning began with a series of visioning sessions with the steering team and teachers/athletics staff. To refine program goals based on current best practices, these sessions included a collaborative presentation and discussion of educational facility trends and review of the local educational market. Design concepts were then presented at two design charrettes. The steering team was integral to this collaborative review process, providing regular input and guidance for program direction and plan refinements.  The final master plan concepts were consolidated into a comprehensive report and formally presented to the board of directors. The report provided the framework for long-range campus master planning initiatives, as well as documentation of Phase 1 priorities, design concepts and cost estimates.

Defining Program Goals for Future Viability

The steering committee established a baseline for enrollment, educational curriculum and athletic program goals moving forward into the future.  The committee reviewed overarching goals for how to deliver education and holistic student well-being.  The discussions tied into teaching philosophies, opportunities for future ready learning programs and implementing tools to meet the needs of the whole student, not just at the educational level.  A concurrent assessment of the existing buildings identified infrastructure needs to be addressed in conjunction with facility updates to improve accessibility, define operational issues and achieve program goals.

A Campus Master Plan Framework for Multi-Phased Updates

The final master plan is organized into smaller, attainable projects and program changes culminating in a comprehensive set of defined updates.  The steering committee established immediate needs and long- range goals through the charrette process which helped to establish the overall educational specifications.  Requirements were set for each department and approach to the overall facility and campus.  The campus master plan solution establishes campus ministry, engineering/robotics, IT/AV, Large Group / Small Group, maker space and arts neighborhoods to reinforce those educational priorities. A building addition will pave for the way for a new Retreat Center and the learning commons will be reconfigured into an adaptable social hub for a variety of learning styles and gathering opportunities. Other improvements, such as a new elevator and entry experience, address current accessibility, wayfinding and security issues.  An expansion to the gymnasium/arts building will allow for a new cardio and weightlifting suite. Site improvements include a fitness trail, tennis courts, stadium turf field and archery range.

 

Logos Academy

York, PA

New Upper School and Community Spaces

Logos Academy, an independent, Christ-centered school in York, Pennsylvania, started with 14 kindergarten and first-grade students. It has since grown to welcome approximately 275 students and their families regardless of faith or financial capacity in grades K-12.  With the program growth including grades 9-12, Logos Academy needs a new, larger home for its Upper School as well as additional campus amenities for its growing community.  Through renovations and additions on an adjacent building site, Logos Academy will have an expanded campus that will have the ability to house up to 200 additional students, along with community spaces to support the diverse downtown community which surrounds it.

The expansion will provide much-needed space for high school instruction, as well as the health and physical education program for K-12 students, and community space for events and meetings. Logos Academy will gain instructional space for visual arts, a fully equipped science lab, and additional office spaces. Furthermore, 10 classrooms will be returned to the original K-8 facility, allowing the Lower School to serve more students.

Finding Space for 200 High School Age Students in an Urban Setting

Bounded by public roads and urban infrastructure, the new home for the upper school and community spaces is right across the street from the Logos Academy lower school. The design concept had to work within a limited footprint to provide an engaging learning environment. Care was also given so that the new building expanded Logos Academy’s existing campus and respected the surrounding community fabric.

Previously, the buildings on the adjacent site housed a former YMCA gymnastics program, warehouse space, a gas station, and a Cadillac car dealership. This dealership was built in the 1930s with a distinctive Art Deco showroom facade, one of the last surviving building facades of this style in downtown York. Logos Academy intends to salvage this historic showroom architecture transforming the space into a central gathering space for its campus and outside community groups.

Creating Contemporary Learning Spaces in Historic Structures

Through renovation and new construction, Logos Academy will breath new life into this urban property. When completed, the historic building will house new classrooms, a fully equipped science lab and creator space along with a new academic support office space. New portions of the building will include a full-size gymnasium, gallery and a student café which will flow through operable doors into an outdoor urban garden.

The classroom areas within the historic building will house a fully equipped science lab and creator space as well as academic classrooms.  These spaces will be oriented around a sky-lit, central student forum space which will allow incidental collaboration between students and their professors. The classrooms will be flexible with movable walls and visual connections to the central forum. The classroom design is driven by Logos Academy’s commitment to a classical education model with features such as Harkness tables incorporated into the design.

Maintaining Connections with York City

Because Logos Academy is located in downtown York, PA, the design reflects the academy’s commitment to the urban community and the activities expected to take place on the expanded campus. To serve as a downtown resource, specific public-use spaces include the gallery, community room, gymnasium, café and urban garden. This connection, as well as student and staff safety, was key in designing the school with appropriate adjacencies and access.  The classroom wing within the historical building, where students spend most of their time, has the ability to be separated from public functions which may be taking place in the community areas of the building.

Assisting with Innovative Funding Sources and City Approvals

The RLPS team is working with multiple project partners to pursue funding to make Logos Academy’s vision a reality.  Potential funding sources include the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program, a Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant, a York County Community Foundation Sustainability Grant, and a grant from the York County Land Bank Authority.  RLPS is also committed to develop project specifications that support the Logos Academy Equity Management Plan.

We provided concept renderings for Logos Academy’s Capitol Campaign for the project.  These renderings will also be used in presentations to the City of York’s Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) since the project site is located within a downtown historic district. The renderings will assist in highlighting the art deco façade of the former Cadillac Dealership and illustrate how the renovations and additions blend seamlessly into the surrounding downtown fabric.

AIA Central Pennsylvania – Design Excellence Award of Merit & Good Design is Good Business Award

 

SAGA Office – Franklin & Marshall College

Lancaster, PA

Flexible Design Solutions for Student-Led LGBTQ+ Organization

Interior renovations to the The Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA) space included new furniture and finishes to create a flexible and inviting floor plan for organizing and hosting events, a collaborative workspace for meetings, and an overall comfortable environment for socializing and studying. Technology was included in the meeting space for easy plug-in and presentation capabilities. An array of soft seating areas were provided throughout the suite to accommodate individual study and group gatherings. It was important for the space to be appealing to all students, reflecting the student-centered mission of this organization.

“Living Room of the College”

The student-led SAGA organization moved to a more prominent campus location, the Steinman College Center. The Center is a student-run facility that, according to F&M’s website, “acts as the ‘living room’ of the College – a place where students, faculty, professional staff and guests meet and share a variety of social, educational, cultural and recreational experiences.”

Photography Credit:  Nathan Cox Photography

 

West Shore School District

Lewisberry, PA

RLPS conducted a facility review of nine elementary schools, three middle schools, two high schools, District administration building, transportation center and athletic facilities. The study included enrollment projections and educational programs including options and their impact for realigning grade configurations. The project has moved into the design of both new and renovated schools to support the District’s future plans.

New Holland Elementary

New Holland, PA

This project expanded Summit Valley Elementary School to accommodate kindergarten through 3rd grade students who were previously housed in a separate facility (the former New Holland Elementary School). Renovations involved relocating and expanding the library and art room, as well as 16 new classrooms, gymnasium and administrative suite. A new mechanical room with a four-pipe mechanical system allows the systems in the new addition to operate without affecting the existing building system.

 

Photo Credit: Larry Lefever Photograph

Blue Mountain Middle School

Orwigsburg, PA

Originally designed during the 1970s, the existing building had very few outdoor connections. The design solution added skylights to interior classrooms and created new hallways with views to the playing fields. New areas include a 650-seat cafetorium, kitchen, lobby, administrative suite, garage and freestanding maintenance building. Existing spaces including the natatorium, locker rooms, classrooms, library and district offices were refurbished and reconfigured for greater efficiency and increased natural lighting. Renovations included new HVAC, lighting, plumbing, roof, windows and doors.

 

Photo Credit: Larry Lefever Photography

Annville-Cleona Secondary School

Annville, PA

This new building includes 48 classrooms with a separate wing for middle school students, and features a media center, music suite, industrial technology education suite, a 1,000-seat auditorium and cafeteria with a scatter, food court style serving area. A three-station gymnasium with approximately 1,200 seating capacity, team rooms, locker rooms and a weight room are also included. The design includes wireless computer technology throughout the building. The new building was oriented on the site to allow construction to occur while the existing building remained intact.

 

Photo Credit: Larry Lefever Photography

Lititz Elementary

Lititz, PA

Building a new elementary school on the existing 2.5 acre site in downtown Lititz required extensive coordination between the design team, school board officials, the district’s buildings and grounds committee, a site research committee and a public residents’ committee as well as a number of local authorities. The design for the new, three-story K-6 school preserves the historic downtown area while blending with the surrounding neighborhood residences. Despite the site constraints, the compact design solution achieves the district’s programming objectives with modern amenities and spacious facilities, incorporating flexible, multi-purpose areas to maximize available space.

Award: Smart Growth Leadership Award; Lancaster County Planning Commission; Lancaster, PA

Photo Credit: Larry Lefever Photography